The Dark Knight Rises Reviews: The Critics Finally Speak!

The Dark Knight Rises review embargo has expired, and critics who got a sneak peek at the film are finally able to weigh in with their reviews of the film. As reported on Comicbook.com over the past week, talk show hosts have raved about the movie, but what will the critics have to say? Guess what? They seem to love the film as well. Here is our round-up of the press reviews that have started to hit. Indiewire.com: Review by Todd Gilchrist – "A cinematic, cultural and personal triumph, The Dark Knight Rises is emotionally inspiring, aesthetically significant and critically important for America itself – as a mirror of both sober reflection and resilient hope." The Hollywood Reporter: Review by Todd McCarthy – "Big-time Hollywood filmmaking at its most massively accomplished, this last installment of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy makes everything in the rival Marvel universe look thoroughly silly and childish. Entirely enveloping and at times unnerving in a relevant way one would never have imagined, as a cohesive whole this ranks as the best of Nolan's trio, even if it lacks -- how could it not? -- an element as unique as Heath Ledger's immortal turn in The Dark Knight. It's a blockbuster by any standard." IGN: Review by Vejvoda – "The aforementioned gripes aside, director Christopher Nolan and his team have delivered the grandest, most emotional and superheroic chapter in their Batman saga. The Dark Knight Rises is a fitting emotional and narrative conclusion to this particular interpretation of the enduring story of Bruce Wayne the man and Batman the legend." Variety: Review by Justin Chang – "If it never quite matches the brilliance of 2008's The Dark Knight, this hugely ambitious action-drama nonetheless retains the moral urgency and serious-minded pulp instincts that have made the Warners franchise a beacon of integrity in an increasingly comicbook-driven Hollywood universe. Global B.O. domination awaits." ComingSoon.net: Review by Edward Douglas – "The story isn't quite as solid as The Dark Knight and the main villains aren't quite as memorable, but having a director with such a strong vision and conviction to fulfill it makes Nolan's Batman finale pay off at least as a bookend to Batman Begins even if it may require quite a bit more patience than both previous films." Hitfix: Review by Drew Mcweeny – "The Dark Knight Rises confirms that these films have always had an endgame in mind, and it has been a remarkable ride, one I would not want to follow.  Whoever Warner Bros hires to reboot the Batman films a few years from now, I wish you luck.  The bar is as high as it could possibly be." Empire: Review by Nev Pierce – "With spectacle in abundance and sexiness in (supporting) parts, this is superhero filmmaking on an unprecedented scale. Rises may lack the surprise of Begins or the anarchy of Knight, but it makes up for that in pure emotion. A fitting epitaph for the hero Gotham deserves." Total Film: Review by Matthew Leyland  - "A smart, stirring spectacle that faces down impossible expectations to pull off a hugely satisfying end to business. Boy, you're in for a show tonight…" ScreenDaily: Review by Tim Grierson – "If there's a slight sense of disappointment that this sequel can't match the heights of the first two films, there's no shame in a major studio tentpole daring to let its reach exceed its grasp." TimeOut London: Review by Tom Huddleston – "And as our heroes swoop off into the sunset, we realise we've been witness to something truly impressive: a seven-year cinematic adventure which combined the epic and the personal in dizzying, inventive, sometimes perplexing, often enthralling, always imaginative ways."